Editing Independence, Louisiana

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Independence, Louisiana
| official_name =
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name = 
| settlement_type = [[Town]]
| image_skyline = Independence Louisiana US Route 51.jpg
| imagesize = 
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = US Route 51 in Independence
| image_flag = 
| image_seal = 
| etymology = 
| nickname = 
| motto = 
| anthem = 
| image_map = File:Tangipahoa Parish Louisiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Independence Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 
| map_alt = 
| map_caption = Location of Independence in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.
| image_map1 = Louisiana in United States (US48).svg
| mapsize1 = 
| map_alt1 = 
| map_caption1 = Location of Louisiana in the United States
| pushpin_map = 
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_label = 
| pushpin_map_alt = 
| pushpin_mapsize = 
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| coordinates = {{coord|30|38|07|N|90|30|14|W|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| grid_name = 
| grid_position = 
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Louisiana
| subdivision_type2 = Parish
| subdivision_name2 = [[Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana|Tangipahoa]]
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 
| extinct_title = 
| extinct_date = 
| founder = 
| named_for = 
| seat_type = 
| seat = 
| seat1_type = 
| seat1 = 
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type = 
| governing_body = 
| leader_party = 
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Jim Paine
| leader_title1 = 
| leader_name1 = 
| total_type = 
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_22.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 6.25
| area_total_sq_mi = 2.41
| area_land_km2 = 6.24
| area_land_sq_mi = 2.41
| area_water_km2 = 0.00
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
| area_water_percent = 
| area_metro_footnotes = 
| area_metro_km2 = 
| area_metro_sq_mi = 
| area_rank = 
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_m = 
| elevation_ft = 82
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 1635
| pop_est_as_of = 
| pop_est_footnotes = 
| population_est = 
| population_rank = 
| population_density_km2 = 261.86
| population_density_sq_mi = 678.14
| population_metro_footnotes = 
| population_demonym = 
| population_note = 
| timezone1 = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1 = -6
| timezone1_DST = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = -5
| timezone2 = 
| utc_offset2 = 
| timezone2_DST = 
| utc_offset2_DST = 
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 70792<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zipdatamaps.com/70792|title=Independence ZIP Code|publisher=zipdatamaps.com|year=2022|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>
| area_code_type = 
| area_code = [[Area code 985|985]]
| geocode = 
| iso_code = 
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info = 22-37025
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info = 2405882<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2405882}}</ref>
| website = {{official website|https://www.townofindy.com/}}
| footnotes = 
}}

'''Independence''', originally known as Uncle Sam,<ref>John V. Baiamonte Jr., "Italians in Louisiana" in ''LLA Bulletin'', Volume 57 Number 1, Summer 1994; Harry P. Becnel, "Customs, Traditions, and Folklore of a Rural Southern Italian-American Community" in ''Folklife in the Florida Parishes'', edited by Joel R. Gardner (Baton Rouge: Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, 1989).</ref> is a town in [[Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana]], United States. The population was 1,665 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]]. It is part of the [[Hammond, Louisiana|Hammond]] MSA.

==History==

The move to establish Independence as a town was led in the early 20th century by [[Louisiana House of Representatives|State Representative]] [[Harry Wilson (Louisiana politician)|Harry D. Wilson]], who subsequently served from 1916 until his death early in 1948 as the [[Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry|Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry]]. Wilson was a son of Dr. and Mrs. William D. Wilson. In 1856, Dr. Wilson had built a store in Independence, which remained for years the oldest building in the community. Harry Wilson worked in the [[county seat|parish seat]] of [[Amite, Louisiana|Amite]] in the  [[general store]] of the merchant Jacob  Stern at a time when Tangipahoa Parish did not yet depend on the [[strawberry]] crop.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/l/a/n/Deborah-D-Langston/FILE/0009page.html|title=Early History and Families of Amite|publisher=familytreemaker.genealogy.com|access-date=May 1, 2013}}</ref> During the 1890s, Wilson was an express messenger for the [[Illinois Central Railroad]].<ref name=indp>{{cite web|url=http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/tangipahoa/history/towns/independ.txt|title=Independence, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana|publisher=files.usgwarchives.net|access-date=May 1, 2013}}</ref> He left that position to pursue a political career.

Affectionately known by voters as "Uncle Harry" or "Mister Harry", Wilson served two nonconsecutive terms in the state House from 1900 to 1904 and again from 1908 to 1912.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cdm16313.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p267101coll4/id/1314/rec/1|title=Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives 1812-2012|publisher=Historical membership of the [[Louisiana House of Representatives]]|access-date=May 1, 2013}}</ref> A strong promoter of his hometown of Independence, located five miles to the south of Amite, Wilson in 1902 and 1903 corresponded with [[governor of Louisiana|Governor]] [[William Wright Heard]] regarding incorporation of the community, which at the time had a population of 308. Governor Heard informed Wilson that he considered the three square miles proposed for the new town as too much land for a small village and suggested that the tract be reduced in size. Originally named "Uncle Sam", Independence had begun in 1852 when the [[New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern|New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad]] began operating through the area. Independence was finally proclaimed a town on August 22, 1912.<ref name=indp/>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|2.2|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 68
|1910= 1004
|1920= 1032
|1930= 1700
|1940= 1498
|1950= 1606
|1960= 1941
|1970= 1770
|1980= 1684
|1990= 1632
|2000= 1724
|2010= 1665
|2020= 1635
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Independence racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US2237025&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 28, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 732
| 44.77%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 768
| 46.97%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 3
| 0.18%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 8
| 0.49%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 48
| 2.94%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 76
| 4.65%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 1,635 people, 711 households, and 492 families residing in the town.

==Arts and culture==
Independence has a large [[Italian-American]] community, as do neighboring towns and villages.<ref>See especially [[Tickfaw, Louisiana]], which is located four miles to the south of Independence.</ref> Independence has a Sicilian heritage festival every year the second weekend in March. Independence has sometimes been referred to colloquially as '''Little Italy''', and Italian expatriates began settling here as early as the 19th Century.<ref>{{cite web
|title=Independence Louisiana Historical Marker
|author=Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
|url=http://www.stoppingpoints.com/louisiana/Tangipahoa/Independence/
}}</ref>

Many attributes of the Italian culture, including food, in Independence are described in ''Italian Culture in Independence''.<ref>[http://www.folklife.uno.edu/italian-culture-in-independence/ ''Italian Culture in Independence''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619131334/http://www.folklife.uno.edu/italian-culture-in-independence/ |date=June 19, 2009 }} is an online scholarly pamphlet offered by the [[University of New Orleans]]. It cites other published sources.</ref> Other useful resources are [[Southeastern Louisiana University]]'s Center for Regional Studies<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.selu.edu/acad_research/programs/csls/|title=Center For Southeast Louisiana Studies|website=www.selu.edu|access-date=April 16, 2016}}</ref> and the Tangipahoa Parish tourist information center.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tangi-cvb.org/site.php|title=Welcome to Tangipahoa Parish!|website=www.tangi-cvb.org|access-date=April 16, 2016}}</ref>

==Education==
[[Tangipahoa Parish School Board]] operates public schools:
*[[Independence High Magnet School]]
*Independence Leadership Academy

==Notable people==
* [[Nick Bruno (president)|Nick Bruno]], President of the [[University of Louisiana at Monroe]]
* [[Robert Crais]], best-selling novelist
* [[Steven Jyles]], a [[Canadian Football League]] quarterback
* [[Frank Lockett]], former NFL wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins
* [[Clif Richardson]], former state representative
* [[LaBrandon Toefield]], former LSU star runningback and NFL runningback for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*{{official website|https://www.townofindy.com/}}

{{Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Towns in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Italian-American culture in Louisiana]]
[[Category:French-American culture in Louisiana]]